1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the automated handling of boxes during shipping.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common in the shipping business to ship items, such as letters and packages, in different sized strapped-sleeved trays (“SSTs”) 100, as shown in FIG. 1(a). Typically, items 101, such as letters, are placed in unstrapped and unsleeved trays 102 and then sheathed in a sleeve 110 for protection during handling. Sleeve 110 can be of an open-ended flat or tubular packaging design to fit over trays 102. Binding sleeves 110 with a strap 120 ensures that sleeves 110 remain secure over trays 102. Strap 120 can be a narrow strip of a flexible material. Items 101 often need to be removed once SST 100 reaches the next processing point. To access items 101, strap 120 must be removed, and tray 102 extracted from sleeve 110.
Historically, this process has been done by hand. An operator receives SST 100 and manually cuts strap 120 and pulls tray 102 out of sleeve 110. Trays 102 are then typically fed downstream for further processing and another operator sorts empty sleeves 110. While effective, this method is slow and repetitive and requires at least one full-time operator, increasing the cost of shipping.
As the shipping and routing industry has grown, there has been a push towards automation. Automation increases speed and eliminates the need for a full-time operator.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system that can automatically process bound sleeves and trays. The system must be capable of handling and sorting different sizes of trays that are common in today's shipping industry. The system must also be able to quickly and efficiently cut the binding strap and remove the tray from the sleeve. To increase efficiency, the system must also be able to sort the empty sleeves according to size for reuse. All these steps should be automated and capable of integration into the overall routing system.